


Moonlit Memories

by bookwrm89



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-07-02
Updated: 2008-07-02
Packaged: 2017-10-24 07:13:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/260541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwrm89/pseuds/bookwrm89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>  Jack tells Ianto something surprising about his past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moonlit Memories

Jack fell against the back of the sofa, gasping, "Damn, Ianto, you are wicked with that tongue of yours."

"Are you telling me you didn't enjoy it?"  Ianto chuckled quietly.

"I didn't say that!"  Jack exclaimed.

Ianto flopped onto the sofa next to Jack, still chuckling to himself.  "I thought that waiter was going to hyperventilate."

Jack snorted, "The waiter...what about me?  I've never wanted to be a spoon so much in my life!  Thank god the SUV has dark tinted windows.  After that little display I would never have made it all the way home, especially with that stop at the video store.  What did you pick out, by the way?"

" _Debbie Does Dallas,"_ Ianto deadpanned.

"No, really, what did you pick out?"

"You said you wanted a classic, Jack."

Jack shook his head, smiling.  "Brat.  You did not rent a cheesy American porn from the 70's."

"No, I got something that I think you'll really like.  Let's go get comfortable and then we can curl up on the couch and watch the movie."  Ianto stood up and headed towards the bedroom.

Jack followed him down the short hallway.  "You still didn't say which movie you rented," he complained as he started to strip off his work clothes, carefully putting them in the hamper.

"Nope, and I'm not going to either.  It's a surprise."  Ianto pulled a t-shirt over his head and then stepped into red pajama bottoms before heading back into the living room.  "Popcorn?"  He called over his shoulder.

"No, I couldn't eat another bite."  Jack settled back on the sofa in his boxers and t-shirt and watched as Ianto put the disk in the DVD player.  When Ianto sat down at the end of the sofa with the remote control, Jack laid down with his head in Ianto's lap and stretched out across the cushions.

Ianto felt Jack's start of surprise when the title screen came up, but wasn't expecting it when Jack sat up and pulled Ianto in for a tender kiss.

"Ianto, thank you.  I've never seen this before, but I've always wanted to."  Ianto thought he saw a hint of tears in the other man's eyes, but couldn't figure out why _The Glenn Miller Story_ would make Jack sad.

"I'm surprised you haven't watched it yet, I know how much you love the music."  Ianto replied as Jack settled back down with his head in Ianto's lap.

Jack didn't say anything, just watched as the movie started with Glenn pawning his trombone.  Ianto ran his fingers through Jack's hair, enjoying the movie and Jack's occasional comments.

"Ugh," Jack shuddered, "I always hated that version of Moonlight Serenade.  The words are gorgeous, but it's supposed to be a ballad, not a hoochie-coo!"

Ianto laughed, "But that version came out first, so how did you know it wasn't supposed to be that way?"

"Hel-loo?  51st century, remember?"  Jack chuckled at the sheepish expression on Ianto's face.  "I grew up listening to the way it was _supposed_ to sound."

"You grew up listening to Glenn Miller music in the 51st century?"  Ianto asked incredulously.

"Yep.  Just because something is old, doesn't mean it's not still fantastic."  Jack gave Ianto a naughty look and laughed when Ianto just shook his head at the innuendo.  "Besides, my grandad was...a fan."

They continued to watch the movie and when it got to the scene where the orchestra continued to play during a German air raid, Ianto got another surprise.

"Man, that was a good day," Jack said. 

Ianto looked down at Jack, a look of shock on his face.  "You were there?"

"Yeah, it was amazing!  I was visiting some of my men at the base hospital.  I'd always wanted to see the orchestra perform live, and what a day to see them."  Ianto was fascinated watching Jack's face light up with enthusiasm.  "Everyone was having such a good time and then the air raid sirens went off.  Some people started making their way to the shelters, but most of us followed the band's lead and stayed there.  It was incredible.  We could see that the band was still playing, even though we couldn't hear them.  Then, when the air raid was over, the entire orchestra stood up and finished the song.  The audience went wild.  It was such a morale booster.  Everyone felt that much prouder to be fighting against the German's, that much more determined to continue fighting and win."

Jack's eyes were shining and he had a proud grin on his face.  Ianto couldn't resist and leaned down to kiss those smiling lips.

"Thank you, Jack," he whispered.

"For what?"

"For fighting for our freedom.  You didn't have to do it, even if you were stuck here.  You knew the outcome of the war, knew that the Axis would be defeated.  You could've gone anywhere and avoided it, but you chose to fight.  You're a good man, Jack Harkness."

Jack's eyes closed and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.  "I wasn't always a good man, Ianto.  It was the Doctor..."

"No, Jack, I refuse to believe that.  You may have lost your path and the Doctor helped you find it again, but the basic goodness was always there.  If you were truly as bad as you think you were, you would've just taken off and left the Doctor and Rose trapped in that hospital with the gas-mask people."

It was Jack's turn to be surprised, "But, how do you..."

"Hel-loo?  Researcher for Torchwood One, remember?"  Ianto paraphrased Jack's earlier comments.  "I'm not just a pretty face."

"No, you're also a cheeky brat,"  Jack laughed when Ianto stuck his tongue out.  He sat up and pulled Ianto into an affectionate hug as he whispered into Ianto's ear, "Thank you, Ianto.  For believing in me."

They settled back onto the sofa, Jack's arms wrapped around Ianto's torso and Ianto's head resting on Jack's shoulder.  Ianto rewound the bits of the movie they'd missed while they were talking and they watched the rest of the movie in content silence.

"If the plane had taken off anywhere near Cardiff, I'd say they disappeared into the rift like the Sky Gypsy," Ianto commented as he turned off the movie and put it back in it's case.  A strange look flitted over Jack's face, causing Ianto to ask, "What?  No, the rift doesn't go anywhere near the flight path."

"True," Jack replied, "but who's to say the plane didn't fly off course?"

"Are you telling me that Glenn Miller's plane was sucked into the rift?"  Ianto was incredulous.  "But, what about the sunken plane they found in 1985?"

"Torchwood's attempt at a cover-up.  Didn't do too good a job of it though.  They got the right type of aircraft, but neglected to put the flight's registration number on it or leave human remains inside.  You're much better at covering up that type of thing."

Ianto tried to wrap his head around what Jack had just revealed.  

"I wonder where they ended up?"  He mused.

Jack gave him a quick look and half-smiled.  "A small planet out on the edge of the galaxy, far ahead of their own time.  Lt. Col. Baessell couldn't handle it and committed suicide.  Glenn Miller and the pilot, John Morgan, did their best to adapt.  Glenn even married again, he was only 40 when he disappeared."

"Jack, how do you know all this?  We've never been able to determine where people end up when they've been taken by the rift unless it brings them back again.  He didn't end up at Flat Holm did he?"  

"No, they never made it back through the rift, Ianto."  Jack paused, before deciding to trust Ianto with the truth.  "My name really is Jack, you know.  Well, nickname actually.  I grew up being called Jack.  It's easier to live with a false name if some part of it at least is real."

Ianto looked puzzled at the apparent change in subject.  "Okay...thank you for telling me that, but what does your name have to do with Glenn Miller's disappearance?"

Jack smiled and replied, "Because I was named after my two grandfathers...my mother's father was named Jackson.  And my dad's father...well...my full name is Jackson Glenn Miller."

  
 


End file.
